How To Stand Firm In Your Faith

We are going to consider that in a world that often values comfort over courage, convenience over conviction, we’re faced with a tough question: Culture’s Greatest Challenge: What would you stand for?

When faced with difficulties, what will you choose? Will you bow to the pressures around you, or stand firm in your beliefs, no matter the cost?

Rollo May, the distinguished psychiatrist, wrote a book called: Man's Search for Himself, and in this book, he says: “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice; it is conformity.” And there you have the trouble today: Its conformity, people acting like the world. We are in the world but not of the world.

Culture loves to drive a wedge between our convictions and our worship. Will We Keep Worshipping God When the Pressure is on?

In Daniel 6, we read of a very popular story, you probably learnt this famous story in kids’ class – Daniel in the lion’s Den.

In a nutshell, we see Daniel’s unwavering commitment to God, even when faced with a law that would put him in adversity, a law that would put him in a difficult situation. Daniel stood firm in his faith.

Daniel 6:10 (NIV)

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Hebrews 11:33, 36-37 (NIV)

33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised, who shut the mouths of lions 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, and mistreated.

John 16:33 (NIV)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

May the Lord bless the reading of his word.

What do you do when you’re on the menu in a Lion’s den?

I read somewhere that A CATERPILLAR is slow, slimy, and it takes all day to go two feet, but when it undergoes the process of metamorphosis and the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, something beautiful is born. There’s only one reason a butterfly can fly: its wings are strengthened by the work it does to break through the cocoon. If a bystander were to slit open a cocoon prior to the butterfly breaking itself loose from the cocoon, it wouldn’t fly. Its wings are developed through the struggle. No struggle, no flight. Sometimes God allows adversity to come to strengthen our wings.

As a believer YOUR INTEGRITY WILL BE TESTED. I heard this the other day - A pastor preached a sermon on honesty one Sunday. On Monday morning he took the bus to get to his office. He paid the fare, and the bus driver gave him back too much change. During the rest of the journey, the pastor was rationalizing how God had provided him with some extra money he needed for the week. But he just could not live with himself, and before he got off the bus he said to the driver, "You have made a mistake. You’ve given me too much change." And he proceeded to give him back the extra money. The driver smiled and said, "There was no mistake. I was at your church yesterday and heard you preach on honesty. So, I decided to put you to a test this morning." Integrity - one's deeds match one's words!

BIBLICAL NARRATIVE:

Daniel 6 begins with the reign of King Darius the Mede beginning his reign. Nebuchadnezzar was removed as predicted, the Medo-Persians, now have been established as the dominant world empire. Judah has been in exile 70 years in Babylon. Daniel in Daniel 6 at this time was an old man in his 80's according to the chronological structure of Daniel.

Daniel was a government employee surrounded by a foreign culture.

- Daniel was a man of character – He had an excellent spirit.

- Daniel was a man of consistency – (Faithful)

- Daniel was a man of conviction.

- Daniel was a man of conscience.

- Daniel was a man of courage.

- Daniel was a man that stood firm in his faith: His story leaves lessons for us.

Today, as we examine the subject: HOW TO STAND FIRM IN YOUR FAITH. In a nutshell consider 4 ideas:

1. Recognize that your faith will face adversity.

2. Respond with courage.

3. Rely on God’s strength.

4. Remember your reward.

Transitional statement

? Doing right is no guarantee everything will go right. Daniel had become the target of envy/jealousy in the new Persian government.